STOCKTON, Calif. — From grocery store aisles to sports arenas, countless people have seen the red circular logo adorning bottles of Michelada mixes and bags of chamoy gummies. At the center of the logo is an unforgettable illustration of a man with dark hair, holding two beers and smiling — an animated version of Stockton native and "El Cejas Micheladas" owner Jesse Hernandez.
“I remember sometimes going to sleep and hearing gunshots... and it felt normal. People got their cars broken into, and people were getting murdered," said Hernandez, reflecting on his upbringing in South Stockton. "My mom and dad came from Mexico to this country and worked in the fields.”
Hernandez's parents didn't let hardships deter them. Shortly after arriving in the United States, they opened the now-landmark South Stockton restaurant "Fiesta Mexicana."
“My mom saw that there was an opportunity to start a business," said Hernandez. “She said, ‘Hey, let’s go for it; let’s get the restaurant and see how it goes.’”
More than 34 years later, the restaurant is still thriving. For over three decades, it has not only provided Hernandez a space to share his family’s culture but also offered employment and essential life lessons that would benefit him in the future.
“At 15, I was making over $150 in tips," said Hernandez. "If I saw your glass needed more soda, I wouldn’t even ask; I’d bring it to you. If you needed more coffee, I’d bring it to you. If you were low on tortillas, I’d bring those too... People remember how you made them feel.”
Some of those life lessons would be put on pause when Hernandez graduated from Edison High School and pursued a brief professional soccer career in México.
“I played professionally, but when I came back, I wasn't doing anything for myself," said Hernandez. "So my mom bought me a little 'vitrina,' which is like a stand for fruits. She suggested, ‘Why not start selling fruit?’ I thought, you know, that’s kind of embarrassing.”
That embarrassment grew when a new, special person entered Hernandez's life.
“At that time, I had just met Genesis. We were barely dating, and she had a stable job," said Hernandez. "I felt like... what would her family think?”
That's when he says he had a dream.
“Somebody in my dream was like, ‘Hey dude, what about if somebody just made something that’s convenient that anybody could make?’," said Hernandez. "I remembered that I love micheladas but having to make them was a process."
Armed with that idea, Hernandez took to his father's kitchen. With a single large pot, he could make 55 cups of the lime, salt and chile beer mix just feet away from his weekend fruit stand.
“When he came out with these cups, I was like uh, you know, I don’t know if they’ll sell," said Hernandez's girlfriend-turned-wife and business partner, Genesis Soto. "But I was supportive of it.”
Eventually, the public caught on and expressed their support as well.
“There were lines of people. I remember we would have 15 to 20 people waiting in line to get our famous Michelada cups with ceviche and it was a great feeling," said Hernandez. "Sometimes musicians would come and play their Mexican music and stuff. It was just a party.”
The weekend sales parties lasted for nearly two years until Hernandez and Soto found themselves spending more and more time making their products.
“He was making more and more every week that it was just getting out of control," said Soto. "We were living day to day, you know, we’re young. We had a son at that time.”
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The couple realized it was time for mass production, but with no investors, Soto knew the two would have to gamble, opening a credit card to finance an uncertain future. It was up to Hernandez solely to get his products into stores.
“I was in there not even selling a product, I was selling myself," said Hernandez. "I would go in like, ‘Hey boss, please. You know, I’m from Stockton, give me an opportunity.’”
The sales pitch worked in a big way. The two paid off their credit card the same month they opened it.
“What made us strong in the beginning was all the mom-and-pop stores that believed in us when we were barely starting," said Hernandez. "They would buy our products and they gave us the opportunity."
Hundreds of stores soon turned into thousands and the regional brand quickly rose to the national level.
“Our products have been to Atlanta, Arkansas, Washington, we’re going to Oregon and Utah," said Hernandez.
Outside of traditional grocery store shelves, the "El Cejas" logo is seen by hundreds of thousands at venues like the Golden 1 Center and even at some restaurants and bars. The couple says their goal is to keep growing, but not too fast to maintain as much control as possible.
Lately, a variation of the locally iconic logo has popped up on the side of the Morada Market in Stockton's Morada neighborhood.
"We decided to open up a meat market," said Hernandez, adding that the market's grand opening was just months ago. "We decided to jump the gun on something we didn't know anything about, but we saw the opportunity of something that could be great for our community and worth having."
Seeing and seizing opportunities seem to be one of Hernandez and Soto's specialties. Despite the onslaught of success, the two don't forget their roots and don't have to look very far for reminders.
“Genesis and I... we had no money. We would drive to Morada and look at all these beautiful homes, saying, ‘One day we’re going to buy a house here,’" said Hernandez, fighting back tears. "Two years ago, we finally bought a home here. I get emotional because it’s definitely... a dream come true.”
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